Conservative Candidate for Braintree, London Assembly Member for Bexley & Bromley

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Is Brian Paddick using the Lib Dems?

I have seen a number of things recently written about Brian Paddick which have got my mind racing. Not the usual political brickbats from opponents, which I always recommend people ignore, but things written by people sympathetic to Paddick and who might even want to see him succeed. On their own they look insignificant but taken together they are rather illuminating.

The first is that Brian Paddick had talks with the Conservatives about running as our candidate in May. It seems that both Francis Maude and Paddick felt that it wouldn’t work out, but for someone who later described himself as a long term “undercover” Lib Dem it seems strange even to entertain the idea of running under the Conservative banner.

It has also been reported that Paddick met Livingstone at the Pride march in the summer of last year and assured him that he would not stand against him, he also said that he could work with Sir Ian Blair despite the fall out from the Stockwell shootings. A short time later he announced his intention to stand for Mayor and said that Sir Ian Blair’s’ “position is unsustainable. I think he should resign.”

Sam Coates at the Times seems to feel that this is flip-flopping by Paddick. He could be right, if he is we should really put a big question mark over someone so unwilling to keep his word or so unable to make up his mind.

I think that Paddick is a bit brighter and sharper than that. He clearly knows that he has little (zero) chance of actually becoming Mayor and had turned down a New Statesman offer of a regular column because it “seemed too much after all the hassle I’d had.” Standing for Mayor isn’t the action of a man trying to avoid “hassle” in retirement, so, why stand?

This was the question that kept on bugging me, and then I saw the post on Lib Dem Voice announcing the imminent release of Paddick’s autobiography. Now it makes sense, how much easier to get onto the best sellers list as a mayoral candidate than as an ex-copper with a book out.

He wasn’t the only non-Conservative to speak to the Tory party about the mayoral candidacy was he?Greg Dyke is not a known Conservative supporter. In fact I don’t think this reflects badly on those individuals who were approached by the Tories knowing they would be great mayors, it reflects badly on the buffoon they settled for in the end after finding out that all the people they wanted turned them down.< HREF="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/men/article3283721.ece" REL="nofollow">That URL in full – http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/men/article3283721.ece <>

He wasn’t the only non-Conservative to speak to the Tory party about the mayoral candidacy was he?Greg Dyke is not a known Conservative supporter. In fact I don’t think this reflects badly on those individuals who were approached by the Tories knowing they would be great mayors, it reflects badly on the buffoon they settled for in the end after finding out that all the people they wanted turned them down.< HREF="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/men/article3283721.ece" REL="nofollow">That URL in full – http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/men/article3283721.ece <>

Jimmy,You’ll find Boris is a great deal smarter than you think. While making predictions about election results would be a mug’s game at this stage, I’d be quite surprised if Paddick would be able to pull in nearly as many votes as Boris, regardless of which party he might be representing. Paddick comes across as a pleasant, sensible man, though the Times article does seem slightly OTT.What’s going to be really interesting is to see how well Livingstone’s vote holds up. I’m not sure pleasant and sensible are words I’d use about him, though he has clearly been politically brilliant throughout his career.

Jimmy,You’ll find Boris is a great deal smarter than you think. While making predictions about election results would be a mug’s game at this stage, I’d be quite surprised if Paddick would be able to pull in nearly as many votes as Boris, regardless of which party he might be representing. Paddick comes across as a pleasant, sensible man, though the Times article does seem slightly OTT.What’s going to be really interesting is to see how well Livingstone’s vote holds up. I’m not sure pleasant and sensible are words I’d use about him, though he has clearly been politically brilliant throughout his career.